The Drabble Dwelling
by oneoffour111
Summary: A collection of ficlets, all under 1,000 words each, with various characters and pairings. Includes Paul/Sally, Nico/Rachel, and of course, Percy/Annabeth. More information inside!
1. A Protector

Hear ye, hear ye! Here begins a collection of ficlets, all _Percy Jackson,_ all kinds of pairings/characters, all day long. I'll be staggering them so as not to overwhelm you all. :) Enjoy!

**Title:** A Protector

**Word Count:** 314

**Rating:** K+

**Characters/pairings:** Paul/Sally

**Summary:** Somewhere between pages 319-360 of TLO, after Paul and Sally fight the monsters outside of the Empire State Building, Paul shares his thoughts on Percy's safety.

**Author's Notes:** Done for challenge #2 (the Drabble Challenge!) at **demigod_elite** on Livejournal. Un-beta'd and hurriedly written, so beware. X]

x-x-x

"He'll be fine, Sally." Paul watched her pace through the ruins the battle had left behind. When she didn't look up, he repeated it. "He'll be fine."

"I just—," Sally looked toward the top of the Empire State Building, which was pulsing blue. "Wouldn't they have told us by now? If he was okay? Is no news good news? Or…bad news? Ugh, what's the dang saying anyway?" She picked up a twisted sword from the rubble and dropped it.

Paul kept staring at her, not giving up. Not giving up. "He has to be okay. Why would the signal be blue if he wasn't?"

"Yes, but he probably told Annabeth about that. What if he's…in a coma or something?"

"From what I've heard, what they should do then is dump an ocean on him. He's not too hard to heal, dear."

Sally frowned. "This is so strange—New York City, city of eight million, my home. The chaos…it's unimaginable."

Paul took in the whole scene—nymphs surveying the damage, Hephaestus campers examining the ruins. "You're right, dear. You're right. But this is Percy we're talking about. I haven't _known_ about this…other side of him for long. But in truth, I've always known. The way he looks at Annabeth, at you—he's a protector. And now he's saved the world, as far as I can tell. But Annabeth is there for him, too. Some of his greatest strengths are his friends."

Paul cleared his throat and glanced at Sally, then continued. "So. I know that he would sacrifice himself to save the world—but I also know that his friends? His friends wouldn't let him." Paul paused again. "I believe he's alive. I believe he's okay. And I believe that he misses you every bit as much as you miss him." Paul stepped toward Sally and took her hand. "Let's go find him."


	2. Interrupted

By request of the first reviewer, here is a story featuring Nico. With a healthy dose of Rachel as well. :)

**Title:** Interrupted

**Word Count:** 250

**Rating:** K+

**Characters/pairings:** Rachel + Nico, could be read as a ship.

**Summary:** As Rachel and Nico prep for an event Rachel's holding, trouble comes their way.

**Author's Notes:** Done for challenge #2 (the Drabble Challenge!) at **demigod_elite** over on Livejournal. Un-beta'd and hurriedly written. X]

x-x-x

_Heiress Rachel Dare, of the socially prominent Dare family, is setting an example. Last night, on behalf of the Save Our Trees project, Ms. Dare held a benefit at her family's mansion in the city. Raising nearly $350,000, the event is considered a huge success..._

Rachel nodded in satisfaction at the section of newspaper. "That's the way it should be."

From across the table, Nico leaned over and huffed. "Sorry, what? Can't read upside-down."

Like he cared. Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Shut up and staple." She looked at the pile of flyers (printed on recycled paper, of course), they'd put together and the pile of the ones that still needed work. To compare the first and second would be to compare a sprinkler and a water tower.

Rachel sighed.

"There's still plenty of work to do." Even as she said it, though, she walked over to the window. Her cave in the hills hadn't exactly worked out, but she still had a big cabin to herself. Actually, it was pretty close to the Hades cabin, so she'd enlisted Nico to help her make flyers for her next "Event for the Environment." She glanced back at the table and caught a blur of movement outside her window, followed by a distant scream.

She turned. "Um, Nico?"

He had dropped the stapler and was now gripping his sword. "Freedom at last." He smirked. "Let's go."


	3. Therapy

**Title:** Therapy

**Word Count:** Around 700

**Rating:** K+

**Characters/pairings:** Percy/Annabeth

**Summary:** When visiting an old camp friend, Percy and Annabeth wonder what the conversation will entail...

**Author's Notes:** Done for challenge #2 (the Drabble Challenge!) at **demigod_elite** on Livejournal. Un-beta'd and hurriedly written (I think this is just going to be my general disclaimer), so beware. X]

x-x-x-x

Therapy

x-x-x-x

"Do I really have to go?"

"Percy. We're halfway there already. Of course you have to go."

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other, Annabeth with one eyebrow raised, Percy slumping in his seat. Annabeth looked back at the road.

"It's just Malcolm," she continued. "It's not like you two haven't met before."

"That's the thing! He knows everything about me, and now he's a psychiatrist! The only thing we'll talk about is personality types and how it was so unlikely that me and you would actually get together." Percy looked out the window.

"Number one: he does not know everything. Number two: we _are_ together-- the rings prove that. Number three: it's just Malcolm! He and Maureen didn't invite us to their apartment just to nag on _you_."

"Wow, you really have a way of making a guy feel important," Percy said drily.

Annabeth waved that away. "I'm just saying. It'll be a time to catch up and meet Maureen, nothing more."

"Hummm," Percy said for the fourth time that evening.

x-x-x-x

Malcolm set down his wine glass. "And then--she had this 'Neatness Brigade' plan! The whole Athena cabin was supposed to go and pick up around camp. Now that was an ill-fated idea."

Percy laughed for ten solid seconds, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he gasped for air. "But still--the time when she decided we'd live in Greece for a year. _That_ was the worst. Like we were going to leave Camp Half-Blood and everyone we knew to go on a 12-month architectural tour of the Mediterranean!"

"Wow, I didn't even know that one! Annabeth, you would have left us for a _year_? That's pretty cold." Malcolm smiled.

Annabeth laughed a short laugh and smiled forcefully. "Yeah, let's just discuss my every bad idea, shall we?" She narrowed her eyes.

x-x-x-x

The two couples stood on the front porch. "It's been a great night. I've had a lot of fun hearing more about Camp Half-Blood...of course, Malcolm's told me a lot about it, but it's fun to hear new perspectives, you know?" Maureen threw her hands in the air.

"Yep, well, thanks so much for having us over! We'll have to return the favor soon." Smiling one last smile, Percy led Annabeth down the porch steps.

Arriving at the Prius, Percy took the keys. "I'll drive." Waving to Malcolm and Maureen, he climbed into the old blue car.

Still smiling out the windshield, he said in a low voice, "What is up?"

"What is up? What's _up_?" Annabeth spoke for the first time in minutes. "You know how you were worried about going over there earlier? Well, it wasn't you who was 'therapied'. It was _me_!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We never did that," Percy protested as he backed out of the driveway.

"Yes, you did. Oh, Annabeth did this! Annabeth did that! Silly Annabeth, what a dumb idea! All you did was make fun of me."

Percy pulled over and sighed. "Okay, okay. I get that. I guess it probably would have seemed like we were making fun of you. But we weren't trying to make you feel bad! You're a great friend, Annabeth, and you know as well as anyone that I've had way more haphazard plans than you have. We just think you're funny, that's all."

Annabeth sighed. "You should have known I'd take it personally." She laughed coarsely. "This is Annabeth, the one of the fatal pride."

Percy smiled ruefully and put the car back in drive. "Nah, you're not, really. You've grown a lot since we were sixteen, and I don't mean taller than me."

Annabeth knit her eyebrows together and shrugged, looking out the window. A minute later, she turned back to Percy. "Well. Who needs therapy when they've got a guy like you?"


	4. the faintest picture

**Title:** -the faintest picture-

**Word Count:** 250

**Rating:** K+

**Characters/pairings:** Thalia/Reincarnated!Luke

**Summary:** This experience is too real to be a dream~

**Author's Notes:** Done for challenge #2 (the Drabble Challenge!) at **demigod_elite** on LJ. Un-beta'd!

x-x-x

David rolls over, flicks on the light.

He's been caught between deep sleep and alertness for so long...yet he feels so peaceful.

He glances at his bedside alarm clock—3:41 AM—and kneads his jaw. That was some dream...

Monsters, swords, and colossal men—he didn't even have words for most of what he'd seen. There was one image, though, that he felt he should know quite intimately. It was a girl, a girl with heavy eyeliner and a fierce attitude. Even now, sitting in his half-lit, empty bedroom, he smiled.

_Thalia_.

With all the self-satisfaction of one who has uncovered a long-sought-after answer he just _knows_ fits, he says the name aloud.

"Thalia, huh?" he mused. "Out of them all, she's one dream I'd love to get to know."

But. He realized that was all too impossible—which was weird, because that dream had been _so_ vivid—impossible for two reasons.

The first—well, it was only a dream, after all. Anyone could see that, right?

The second reason, he thought, was a bit surreal. It was that he already knew her. He knew her sense of humor, he knew her secrets, he knew her face, and he knew her world.

He knew her soul.

The drakons, the enchanted cruise ship, the camp—the swords! They were all real. It was all right in front of him, as if it always had been.

"Well," David thought, "there's no way I'm getting back to sleep tonight."


	5. Interrupted Again

**Title:** Interrupted Again

**Word Count:** 650

**Rating:** K+

**Characters/pairings:** Rachel, Nico, and Annabeth

**Summary:** And the plot thickens...with a special appearance by Annabeth Chase.

**Author's Notes:** Done for challenge #2 (the Drabble Challenge!) at **demigod_elite** on LJ. Un-beta'd and hurriedly written. X]

**Additionally:** A continuation of **Chapter 2,** as requested by icy roses! (I'm just going to take a minute here to promote her and her fics, particularly _Three_, a Percy/Annabeth epic that spans thousands of wondrous words-and of which she has just released another chapter!)

x-x-x

Where we left off:

_She glanced back at the table and caught a blur of movement outside her window, followed by a distant scream._

_She turned. "Um, Nico?"_

_He had dropped the stapler and was now gripping his sword. "Freedom at last." He smirked. "Let's go."_

One minute later, Nico skidded to a halt. "Well, we could use a little help for this," he said, looking up—_way_ up—at the super-sized bulls that hulked over he and Rachel. He grunted as two skeletons clawed themselves out of the forest floor. "Attack," he shouted, pointing at the trio of twenty-feet-tall beasts. The skeletons, equipped with bone javelins, advanced.

"Hey, camper," Rachel yelled from behind him, "where are you?"

"I'm—over here," came a voice from the other side of a bull. "Coming!" One of the three monstrous animals tipped over, a gaping wound in its side, and dissolved into dust on impact with the ground. Annabeth came into sight. "Huh. Cow tipping. That's ironic," she panted.

Rachel raised her eyebrows. "Annabeth! What's going on?" She bent down and pulled out a purple-hilted knife from a sheaf strapped around her calf, pulling her marker-stained jeans back down afterwards. She glared up at the creatures.

"Tell you later," Annabeth breathed as she spun around, disabling another of the bulls with her glinting knife, then letting Nico's skeletons finish the job. Nico himself was darting around the last monster, causing it to trip over itself and crash to the ground. "Not too bright," he noted. Rachel ran to join him and they both stabbed it, causing it to explode in a burst of dust.

"Hey, thanks," Annabeth said, looking at the remains of the huge cows. "Could have done it myself, but I sure appreciate the help. I can explain now—I'm sure you're curious."

Rachel smiled. "That'd be great, but come back to my cabin first. I have some lemonade waiting there, and I'm super thirsty!"

"Sounds good, me too," Annabeth agreed.

"Nah...I'll leave you two girls alone." Nico shrugged.

"Come on, that's just wrong." Rachel bumped his shoulder with her own. "We're just _girls_.

He shrugged again. "That's okay, see you later." With that, he turned and started walking deeper into the forest.

Rachel bit her lip. "Okay...well, it's just us then. I can't wait to hear where you found those bulls."

Sitting in Rachel's cabin with two tall glasses of lemonade, the two were ready to talk.

"It was just Hera, _again_." Annabeth waved her hand dismissively. "Now she's upset that her cabin wasn't ready when she claimed that Sylvie girl the other night. Like it's _my_ fault she hasn't had any demigod kids in, oh, forever?" She rolled her eyes. "I guess I should be impressed, but what with all the Big Three kids coming to camp in the last couple years..."

Rachel nodded. "I know what you mean. It's crazy how big camp has gotten lately."

"Absolutely—it's getting harder for me to keep track of all the cabins for the minor gods, and Percy's having a terrible time trying to get everyone to pay attention during Pegasus lessons."

"Ha, I should go bug him sometime, _just_ when he's about to teach something crucial."

"Oh, definitely, you should," Annabeth laughed.

Rachel sighed. "If only I didn't have that luncheon with the Daughters of the American Revolution tomorrow. I have so much to do before then."

Annabeth smirked. "DAR? Now, I'm an Athena kid, but even that sounds bad to me."

"Ugh, going is like asking a Sphinx to back you into a corner...of which the walls are made of spikes. Of course, I'd never go if my mother didn't bribe me with new paints. Hey, did I ever tell you—"

The door flew open. A fuming Nico stormed in, dragging Shawn, a ten-year-old from the Hades cabin, behind him. Nico's eyes were narrowed, while Shawn's had flown wide open and never blinked. "Shawn," Nico forced out, "_accidentally_ chucked my favorite ring into the Styx." His expression turned devilish. "Do you happen to have an extra stapler?"


	6. Beware of Camera

**Title:** Beware of Camera

**Word Count:** 270

**Rating:** K+

**Characters/pairings:** Percy and Rachel

**Summary:** Rachel has a bit of blackmail material on Percy, and she'll use it if she has to.

**Author's Notes:** Done for challenge #2 (the Drabble Challenge!) at **demigod_elite** on LJ. Un-beta'd.

**Additionally:** Partially inspired by **Kioko**'s drabble, **Tribute to Flo's Meatloaf Surprise**. Rachel is _definitely_ into photography. =]

{xxxxx}

**Beware of Camera**

"Rachel, I already have senior pictures."

Rachel nodded.

"And you know I hate pictures of myself."

She nodded again.

"So why are you taking _more_?" Percy set down his paddle and looked forward at Rachel, who was sitting backwards on her seat in the canoe.

She snapped another. "Because the other pictures were on a _bench_." She readjusted the focus on her bulky camera. "A _granite_ bench. So tacky."

Percy shoved the paddle under his seat, which destroyed the flimsy illusion that it was the power behind the canoe anyway.

"And now you're in your element." She glanced down at the lake, the rays of the sun dancing on the surface. "Almost literally."

Percy sighed, dangling his fingertips in the water. "Exactly. Why did you bring your precious camera in a canoe? They're the tippiest boats of all time."

She gave him a look. "Son of Poseidon? You'd never let a canoe tip over."

As she picked the camera off her lap and started messing with the lens cap, Percy's expression grew devilish. He leaned back casually as the canoe wobbled and Rachel yelped. "And why not? I'd stay dry. I'd be fine. But your camera..."

She held the expensive tool with two hands. "Don't you dare, Percy Jackson. Or I'll tell Apollo about our kiss!"

Percy's eyebrows shot up. "But that wasn't me, that was _you_!"

Rachel wagged a finger. "He won't have to know that, will he?"

Percy scowled. "I could take him. He's probably no worse than Ares. Besides, that was before you became the Oracle."

Rachel nodded slowly. "Oh? Okay. Fine with me. I'll just tell _Annabeth_."


	7. A Weekend Away

**Title:** A Weekend Away

**Word Count:** 540

**Rating:** K+

**Characters/pairings:** Paul and Percy

**Summary:** Paul and Percy bond over a lack of camping skills, some cliche football, and swordplay.

**Author's Notes:** Done for challenge #2 (the Drabble Challenge!) at **demigod_elite**. Un-beta'd…and wow am I ever posting this late here.

* * *

**A Weekend Away**

The tent collapsed on itself again, but by now, Percy was too apathetic to care.

"This is ridiculous," he monotoned.

Paul nodded in agreement. "I _thought_ I knew how to put this thing together...but there's got to be something we're missing."

"You're telling me-but I've already checked the instructions three times." Percy turned away from the heap of fabric and poles. "I say we just forget about it for a few minutes."

"Fine with me. We should build a fire eventually, anyway." Paul sighed and dropped the stake he'd been holding.

They walked over to the supplies they'd set on the picnic table. "I hope Annabeth and your mom are having more luck on their "weekend away" than we are," Paul said.

"Well, it was their idea to get rid of us for a couple days-they're probably just enjoying the quiet right now." Percy sat down on one of the table's benches while Paul took the other. "What do we do now?"

"We could make that fire...but I think we've had enough of setting up for now. What do you say we throw around a football?" Paul asked.

"Football? You brought one?"

"You bet." Paul dug around in a duffel bag and pulled one out. He tossed it to Percy, who caught it and threw it back.

"Uff," Paul grunted. "With a little less zip."

Percy grinned and caught it again, moving backward. "Fair enough."

They continued the game of catch for a few more minutes before Percy tucked the ball under his arm. "Now it's my turn." He traded the ball for a sword from another bag. "Here." He handed it to Paul and pulled Riptide from his pocket. "Celestial bronze." he added. "Can't hurt you."

"Okay," Paul said, hefting his sword. "It's been a while since I used one of these."

"You said you'd learned a lot during your Shakespearian acting class, right?" Percy raised his eyebrows.

"You got it-but give me the basics anyway."

"Okay. Basic stance," Percy demonstrated, "and basic thrust. Basic feint, block, slash, anything else?"

"Nope," Paul said with a grin. "Just this-" He stepped forward and quickly jabbed at Percy, who easily deflected the blow. In the same motion, he feinted toward Paul's side and advanced, forcing Paul to step back. Both wore goofy grins and continued "fighting" until Paul had finally disarmed Percy. Breathing hard, Paul laughed. "I must say, that was a lot more fun that I had fighting that giant last August."

"Yeah, well, not being in a life-or-death situation can help," Percy noted.

"You said it." Paul sheathed his sword and surveyed the campsite.

"Now for the tent," Percy said, now with a defeated expression.

"Hmm..." Paul picked up part of a pole, taking the whole mess of a tent off the ground, and dropped it. "About that. Why don't we just stay in a hotel instead? I saw a nice-looking Holiday Inn Express off the highway a few miles back."

Percy's eyes widened. "Yes," he said, relieved. "I thought you'd never ask."


	8. Double Agent

**Title:** Double Agent

**Word Count:** 350

**Rating:** K+

**Characters/pairings:** Percy, Annabeth, daughter, unborn child X]

**Summary:** Annabeth leaves for a business trip.

**Author's Notes:** Wow, moar drabble. I was eating supper and this randomly popped out at me. =] Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Double Agent**

"Percy, I'm waiting!" Annabeth stood restlessly by the garage door.

Percy bounded down the stairs and handed Annabeth her keys, accompanied by a rueful grin. "Sorry, Annabeth. I'll be more careful next time."

Annabeth was already slipping her pumps on. "Humph," she replied. "Make sure Olivia takes her vitamins tomorrow morning."

"You bet," Percy said, pecking her cheek with his hands resting on her hips, covered by a new maternity blouse. "See you soon, Wise Girl-stay safe."

"Come on, Seaweed Brain, you're talking to a seasoned fighter, and I'm carrying another. Are you worried that I might be pickpocketed in Athens?" She made a face. "Because I'm not. Don't bother with the 'stay safe' stuff." She returned the peck, though, and glanced up to her proud daughter at the top of the stairs.

"Bye, Mommy! Don't worry, I won't let Dad do anything silly."

Annabeth couldn't help laughing at that, but Percy was less amused. "Women."

"Yeah, well, we've got to stick together." Annabeth opened the door. "I love you guys, and I'll IM you tomorrow."

Giving Annabeth one last smile, Percy shut the door behind her. "Silly Mommy-she thinks _I_ lost her keys." He rolled his eyes. "But I _am_ the best at finding them."

"Does having Baby Jr. make her think that?"

"Yep. But don't tell her I told you."

"Okay," Olivia whispered with her finger against her mouth.

Percy nodded conspiratorially. "Now. We made a deal. You did your part, so...who wants..._dessert for supper_...supper...supper?"

Olivia jumped up the stairs and started clapping. "Yeah, we fooled her! But can we have ice cream or Oreos first?"

Percy leapt up the stairs too, and grabbed her. "Both!"

Olivia grinned devilishly. "This is going to be fun!"

-x-

Out in the garage, Annabeth wore a grudging grin. Should she go back inside and stop the madness? No. She decided to let the chaos continue-gods knew it wouldn't last long after _she_ got back.


End file.
